Sex Hormonal [SH] Therapy for Rosacea

Rosacea and periole dermatitis should probably not be treated with SH therapy. Patients with skin disorders should carefully avoid any androgen-effective oral contraceptives, even for birth control purposes, and pay particular attention to the progesterone content, since some progesterones have androgenic aftereffects (testosterone anabolica, nortestosterone derivatives). source

While the above report reported in 1976 concluded that SH therapy is cautioned in treating rosacea, reports show that this had been done at least since 1971. For instance, read the following report in 1992:

"...These findings demonstrate that a low dose of spironolactone is effective in the treatment of rosacea in some male patients and suggest that it is possible that changes in the metabolism of sex steroid hormones such as cytochrome p-450 isozymes have some bearing on the etiology of rosacea..." source

Spironolactone (marketed under the trade names Aldactone, Novo-Spiroton, Spiractin, Spirotone, or Berlactone) is a synthetic steroid which is commonly used as a diuretic or as an antiandrogen and is a common component in hormone therapy. Also, consider the following report:

Rosacea in association with the progesterone-releasing intrauterine contraceptive device [2001] (see reference below) substantiates that SH therapy rosacea may be unwise.

Do sexual steroids contribute to the pathomechanism of rosacea? A study of estrogen and androgen receptors in acne rosacea (see reference below) is another report to consider whether to accept SH Therapy for rosacea.

"Three women with papulo-pustular rosacea were treated with a cyproteroneacetate-containing oral contraceptive in addition with 10 mg cyproterone acetate from the 5th to 19th day of the menstrual cycle. After three months the papulo-pustules totally disappeared, whereas the teleangiectasias remained." [1981] source

It should be noted that steroids have been used for rosacea and have proved counter-productive and a word to the wise is sufficient.